I Am Legend (Ultimate Collector's Edition)

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The post-apocalyptic adaptation starring Will Smith gets the ultimate treatment.

By Cindy White and Christopher Monfette

No matter which way Warner Bros. markets Will Smith's new movie -- be it as a Castaway-style solo acting exercise or a futuristic monster movie -- I Am Legend is fundamentally a "wow" picture, a work of spectacle that shows audiences their world in a way that it's "never been seen before." Smith himself set the precedent for these films with Independence Day, a movie which sold tickets based on the singular appeal of watching the White House be obliterated by aliens. But the genre has thinned out over subsequent years despite the concerted efforts of filmmakers like Roland Emmerich and Michael Bay. So, in that sense, I Am Legend is a noteworthy movie because it arrives in theaters at a time when its competition is imminently more credible fare, offering populist pleasures to delight and distract from matters of artistic (much less cultural) substance.

To be fair, director Francis Lawrence is the perfect director for this type of movie because his visual style telegraphs every scare or emotional punchline and ensures that each viewer receives exactly what he or she wants or expects from every moment. But that is also why even as counterprogramming to more serious, meditative fare, I Am Legend is neither refreshing nor rewarding, leading one less to some catharsis or epiphany about our possible future (not to mention our current cinematic options) than the revelation that the third time is decidedly not the charm in adapting author Richard Matheson's iconic story.

The old filmmaker's adage has always been that if you can impress an audience at the very end, much can be forgiven. The opposite, one imagines, is also true – that a fine enough film can be tainted almost entirely by the failings of a tragic third act. Theatrically, I Am Legend was an unfortunate example of the latter – a well-crafted, powerfully-performed film which, while seldom exceptional, had the makings of goodness, if not greatness. Until, of course, the final five minutes, which traded senseless simplicity for emotional complexity and soured into the congealed mess of palatable Hollywood mediocrity. It was a conclusion which, in many ways, proved to some audiences just how incredibly stupid the studios believed them to be and to others just how stupid they actually are.

So it is on the money-making medium of DVD – ever-increasingly the dumping ground for cinematic greatness – where we find an alternate ending that treats its audience with a reasonable degree of respect. The "alternate theatrical version" offers less a revision of the film itself – in truth, it plays almost entirely the same until the finale – and more a conclusion which washes away much of the patina splashed across the first two acts by the original ending. It's a simple adjustment – seven minutes of new footage that sweetens an otherwise sour taste – but the degree to which it makes the film feel inexorably more cohesive is impressive. If not to include a flashy finale explosion, one wonders why anyone would have thought to change it at all. This new ending easily elevates the film in quality and calls for a definite revisit on DVD.

Alternate Cut Score: 7 out of 10

Alternate Cut reviewed by Christopher Monfette.

Video and Presentation

The video presentation here is identical to the two-disc special edition released earlier this year and it's still gorgeous. Lawrence has managed to create a visually stunning, beautifully photographed vision of an abandoned New York. From the near-flawless incorporation of CG to the high-quality coloration and clarity, the DVD presents a stunning and consistent image throughout. Black levels run surprisingly black, making the film's climactic mid-point chase through a darkened building all the more terrifying, and the contrast, while subtle, nicely underscores the presentation of certain scenes. All in all, a great transfer.

Score: 9 out of 10

Languages and Audio

Like the video, the 5.1 Dolby Digital mix here has not been altered from the previous release, and it's just as impressive as the visuals. It's difficult to imagine what might happen to the soundscape of a city like New York if left empty for an extended amount of time. I Am Legend brings that to life in a number of small, subtle design elements and a smattering of larger, more bombastic set pieces. From a single car speeding through the silent streets against the scattering wildlife to gunshots and explosions in an otherwise empty night, the sound here proves both captivating and intensely eerie. Wonderfully and carefully presented.